Firearm cartridge for scenic effects



: Patented ov, 3, 19255 l imam meme Told whom/"it cilayfconoem j 1 f,'jBe'it known that l, BRUQEIEJCLARKE, a *flgciti'zen of the"United Statesf residing at cK ans as Cit-y, in' thej county. of Jackson and i State of Missouri,'have invented certain new.

andjuseful"Improvements in Firearm ECar-;,

' 'tri'dges 'rar: Scenic Effectsmf which theifohj Q iThisinVention relatesto a cartridge to he" fired infa standard firearlmor an ;arn1' espe I ci'allyi constructed to receiveit; witl the eiffec't oficlosel'y simulating atfleast' in Visual efie,ct's, an d preferably invandiblejefi'ectsas wellgtheconditions attendant upon theoperfationof the firearm under normal conditions; j ",Theinvention. has for its object to m- TVidQ fiifil ridge wl'iiclifcan be pro'i'luced, halidle d'fandconsumedWithout disagreeable conse'qnences, and without danger. incident to firing even though a person ma'y'be in the direct line of fire and at close range. j 1 v The invention proceeds ipon the principle of suitably encasing within the cartridge :1 medium which, Whenjex'pelled, will simulate a v he:a'ppearance ofsmoke froin'a firear1n,"to-

geth'er with a' nlediuni norrnally confinedibnt releasable at will for expelling the smoke- Simfi ng m d u .a dm wh e yeth TI expellingzmediuni mayhe' released to action ;b rrhe;aepr functioning the firear 'nflin ivhichthe cartridge isintr'odnced; thesniokesimulatinginediumfleeing preferably in, the form of anlimpalpable powder confined'ina v powder" chamber ,l'with' a: releasable closure 'resistingits escape froni the cartridge; the I finder} pressure, then-inflammable "or eiplo sire, andprgf rably inert; and the releasing 1 7 a' i fip fc a ly'.",i fl fl '?a d theirele ingi J I he nsib ing pr fe lygi n the o m piston'orequivalent lnendber standing in con "trol of the releasable closure, and? in turn ect to action of gases res'iilting 'froin det-f o-nation of primer or cap: jThG expelling I mediimi'may stand ineomninnication"with thef snioke-siinulating in'ediun'i, thereleasable' I closure/Which confinesthelatterbeingrelied [on also to resist escape offlth'e former. i. In thejpreferred embodiment, theexpelling me- I v dinm is confinedin the'tubular body of the s cartridge; -Whilethe*'sinoke sinrnilating me- 7 'dinr'nfand the actuatorfwith'itsprimer,are ,locatedinseparate chambers associatedwith i the'j efxpelling mediurri cylinder atlthe respective endsthe'reof] i I I In order that the invention may lee-frilly "nn'derstood; thepreferred embodiment theref 13360313.; omnxrifor ke rses oiryij sisomm Q lippl'i cetionn led Febi aary zepi'sas. Serial No. 11 625;

' ofwill he descrih'ed incletailybj Way of the rear endoi the sainei. 5

Y *4 1559552; PATENT 11F??? E503 scmejmeeesj companying drawing, in WlliGl1- involving the invention.

illustration, reference lo'einghadtoth'e 1 Figure 2'is'a,siinilaryiewfon a-largerscalef Figure is asim flar viewxon an V a, c 1 me a scaleof the front end;o f"the cartridgegfandp Figure l shows an'axia'l section of a'n o'd I resents the tubularbody of aearp tridge shell which isipreferably constructed" I Witha substantial base 2, havinga'fiangefi and Witha frusto conical end 4, the cartridge p r being'therebyadaptedi'for convenient intro duction and proper positioning in'th'e chain ber of'a firearm. The forward endt is de signed ivith a thickened portion 5, into which is screwed the supporting end 6, andalc'ham;

her 7 designed to carrying a smoke-sirfitilat ingnnediom, for; "instance5' an viinp'aljpable' 4 powder that Will readily fioat'fin suspension in atniosphe'ric air-Ji Whil'e any 'peader; 7

answering to, thesefconditions may'lbef em-{1" loyed liiorfthis "pagpese o "long' as its} color will hega-ppropriatefor the irisualeii'ect deg sired, I'have found by experiinentthat there T isone 'si'ibstance which is peculiarlyadapted for thispurpose, namely, lycopodiuin, which, befcause'ofit's light eightQ'WiIlclosely'sinnilate productsfof' cornbiist'ion'and gradually, floatf'away until the fioating mass becomes] dissipated or attenuated-to "the degreeof disj- V f solving from fviewfThe chaniheri7'isfpref- I r er'alo ly threaded, 'throughIthe mediuni offlits head 6, into the thickened-portion of the, 5 head socthatit can h'e'readily"reinovedi'and replaced i'n'fdischargingi thgepartridge;and.

hasa fnnnel' sha ped discharge end, 8gnormany closed by a destrnctibl'e fillingjpie'ce 9 Y adapted tobepnnctured by'a needlerod 1 0 also aninverted funnel-shapedhottoin 11". th rougli which the rod -10 passes and'fwhich' f by its-shape reduces to minininnfi the M "Wder' escaping rearwardly throughlthe" F rio'd opening. Y

- Cylinder -1 cartridge, is designed to containa gas under I pressure 'sufficientgto forcibly expel; the

powder in the'chamber Timid atoniize i'tfso 'itliat it' will remain in suspension and float ofifon the atmosphere. The gas employed for purpose may loe atmospheric aih, t

and therefore harmless and unobjectionable to animal life when released; and the expelling medium thus developed is preferably left in normal communication with the mterior of the chamber 7, through the medium of the space 12 existing between the rod 10 and the conical bottom 11. In other words, the destructible. filling piece 9 serves as the means for confining the expelling medium under pressure, as well-as for resist'ingesca m of the smoke-simulating medium. I

In thethickened base 2 of the. cartridge is threaded a cylinder 13 for an actuating piston 14c on the rear end'o fthe rod 10, and this cylinder 13 is equipped'with a convenient. form of gas generator 15 for acting upon the piston 14,.for. instance, the. primer or detonator ordinarily used. in a firearm cartridge, and whichgene'rally contains fulminateofmercury or other composition detonatedby the firing pin of the arm. I have found by experiment that. the gas. generated by detonation or such a primer when caused to act upon apiston-such as lat, is quite sufficient to develop a forcible thrust inthe rod 10 and cause the latter to puncture the. fillingpiec'e 9 and release the gaseous expelling medium from the cylinder. lftogether with the smoke. simultaing-powder-of the chamber 7. which is borne out in suspension upon the gas. Inorder to avoidpossible. ill effects of projection of the filling piece 9 along with the blast-of powder-expelling. gas, said piece is anchoredin the-forward end of the chamber head 6 by dovetailing it therein,- and in order that the needle. endor the bar 10 may not unduly obstruct the perforation which it makes, areturn spring 16 of very substantial capacity is inserted betweeirthe piston l tand the forward end of the cylin- ,del 13, so that immediately thew-piston com pletes its stroke andcauses the rodfto' penetrate the filling piece'9, the vrod willbe with drawn from. the discharge openin By way insuring against. undue delayin the withdrawalof the needle fromthe destructible closure or filling piece 9, cylinder- 13 is suit-ablyiventecl, for instance as shown at. L7, so that remnant gas from the detonator will be quickly reduced in pressure upon attainment by the piston 14:, of its forward-limit of movement, and thus leave the. return spring 16 without undue resistance to its action of withdrawing the needleba-r: from the punctured closure.

If desired, the. cylinder-may be in the form shown at 13 in Figure 4c, accordingfto which it is constructed with a seat 13 against which the piston 14 may rest: in its outward movement under the spring 16 and thus be adapted to servea's a check valve in the 0112 ging or the containenl with expelling. medium under pressure, as, for instance, by introducing a gas connection at the primer opening 15 and after getting the de'sired.pressure in the container 1, re-

lying on the piston 14; to serve as a valve until the primer 15 can be introduced. Otherwise, charging with expelling medium under pressure will have to be carried on in an apparatus equipped with means for introducing the primer before removing the cartridge from the pressure supplying medium. V

I have discovered by experiment that l'ycopodium is a particularly desirable substance to use in thechamb'er 7: as a smoke-simulating medium, because of its appropriate color, its ready suspension in atmosphere, its non-packing quality, and its total lack or disagreeable effect upon the eyes or respiratory organs. If nitrogen or carbon dioxide be used as the expelling medium in chamber 1, other forms of smoke-simulating medium may be used in the chamber 7, even though the substance be such as to be practically xplosive when suspended in line subdivided form, since in this circumstance there will be nothing to convey ignition from the primer 15 to the smoke-simulating medium.

I claim 1. In a cartridge for spectacular efi ects a chamber for smoke-simulating medium, a reservoir for gaseous expelling medium, and means for releasingsaid smoke-simulating medium and expelling medium at will.

2. In a'cartridge for spectacular effects, a chamber. for a gaseous expelling medium, a chamber adapted to contain a smoke simulating. medium, the 'last namedchamber having a port for communicating with the chamber first named, and having a port through which its contents can escape to atmosphere when-borne upon the expelling medium, and-means for openingfthe second named chamber to atmosphere at will.

3. A cartridge for spectacular eii'ec'ts, comprising a container for smoke-'simulau ing medium, a container for a gaseous expelling medium, a closure for the chamber first named, releasableto opensaidchamber to atmosphere, an actuator adaptedto open said closure, and means for driving said'actuator comprising a piston and a gas generator in position to deliver gas under pressure to said piston. v

a. In a cartridge. for spectacular effects a cylindricalbody, a chamber for smoke-simulatingimedium mounted in one end ofsaid body, having. a port at its forward end through which it is adapted to communicate with atmosphere, .a-n'd'a port at its rear end through which it communicates with the interior of the body, a closure for said port, a rod adapted to open said closure, and means for controlling saidrod at Will;

5. In a cartridge for spectacular eflects, a

container Q for gaseous expelling medium, a

chamber for. smoke-simulating medium: having a; discharge port and a port th'rough, which it communicatesv with said container, and a thrust rod entering said chamber fronr saidfcontainer for 'opening the discharge portof the chamber;said-chamber havingv out dislodging it.-

character described, a bodyportion, athrust thrust rod passes.* I o. 7 6. In a-cartridge for spectacular effects,

an inturned conical bodyfthrough which said a container for gaseous expellingmedium, a chamber forsmoke simulating medium having a'portthrough which it discharges and a port through-which it communicates" wlth {said container, a closure for the discharge port'of said chamber, and a thrust rod for opening said closure.

7. In a cartridge for spectacular efi'ects, a

. fcontainer for gas-expelling medium, achamher for smoke-simulating medium having a discharge port and a port through which it communicates with said container, a filling :piece anchored over said dischargeport and,

adapted to close the same, and a thrust rod adapted to puncture said filling piece with- 8. In a cartridge for spectacular eiiects,

" -,9. In a; cartridge for spectacular effects,

a body iportioni'adapted'to rcontaina gaseous expelling medium, saidbody portion hav ing 'a threaded forward end, anda' chamber for smoke-simulating medium through the forwardaendfof the body portion, havingfthreaded' connection therewith.

inserted 10. In a cartridge "of substantially the gas pressure. .7 v I v 12. In a cartridge :of substantially the,

character described, .a body portion, 2a

'rod, ,a lpiston on saidthrustrod, a cylinder surroundlng sald piston, and a gasfgenera f l tor 1n position to delivergas under pressure to said piston. I a

I In cartridgi f substantiallyhe: Character described: 91 body portio H rod, a piston ons aid thrust rod, a cylinder surroundmgsald-plston, and a gas "genera tor in position to deliverxgas under ;.pres'; ,sure' to sald p ston; said piston havmg; a-

spring acting upon it in the direction oppositeto that in which itis projected-by the thrust rod, a piston on said thrust rod, a cylinder surrounding said piston, and a gas generator in position to deliver gas under pressure to said piston; said cylinderbeing "ented'imem of e orward limit ofimove ment of the piston; 1-

. 13. In-a cartridge. of substantially the, i character described, a body portion adapted to contain a gaseous expelling medium, [cylinder inserted in the rear end *of said'f body por tion, a thrust rod-entering said cy1-' inder, a'piston for actuating said thrust rod,

and a gas generator adapted to beoperated upon at will to deliver gas under pressure endrof the'stroke otthe piston. s

"14. In a cartridge for spectacular effects,v a chamber containing lycopodium, means; z'for venting said chamber at wi1l,'and a resfervoir of gaseous expelling mediumv adapted" to deliver 1 its contents in expelling relationto the contentsof said chamber. Signed. at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th of December, 1924.,

i to said piston; said cylinder'ha'vingports in rear of the'forwarddimit of movement of the piston and delivering. into thefbody of V the cartridge and to said expelling medium} the gas under pressure remainingatithe BRUCE E; CLARKE. i 

